This Wednesday's unprovoked attack on Israel's northern border by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, in which eight Israeli soldiers were killed and two others kidnapped for ransom, is the direct result of Lebanon's failure to fulfil its responsibility as a sovereign state and to comply with Security Council resolutions requiring it to disarm Hezbollah.

The fact that Lebanon's government includes members of Hezbollah - a universally recognised terrorist organisation supported and supplied by the extreme Islamist government of Iran - makes its accountability for this attack doubly clear. For this reason, Israel is reacting to the attack as an act of war by a neighbouring sovereign state.

Six years have passed since Israel withdrew its forces from Lebanon in a peace-seeking act endorsed by the international community, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425. The United Nations confirmed this to be a complete withdrawal to the international border between the two countries.

As part of its obligations under 425, the government of Lebanon undertook the responsibility for preventing terrorist attacks against Israel from within its borders. Despite this, Hezbollah was allowed to remain entrenched along the border with Israel and to continue receiving arms from Iran via Damascus.

For years the international community has expected Lebanon to meet its legal obligations to disarm Hezbollah and thereby stop terrorist attacks against Israel. These obligations, also stated in Security Council Resolution 1559, have been ignored.

Israel will not let its citizens be held hostage by a terrorist organisation, nor by a government unwilling to meet its basic responsibility to keep the peace as a member of the community of nations. If Lebanon refuses to keep its border peaceful, Israel will have no choice but to act in self-defence.

Once again the Middle East is at a violent crossroads as the result of a terrorist rampage; this time the axis of terrorism runs from Hamas in the South to Hezbollah in the North. Hamas and Hezbollah are driven by an extremist jihadist ideology which calls for the destruction of the State of Israel - but not Israel alone. Hezbollah and Hamas are part of an international "holy war" against the entire "infidel" Western world to impose radical Islam throughout the globe. Yet, these groups would be unable to exist without the sponsorship of Iran and Syria.

Syria hosts the headquarters of a number of Palestinian jihadist terrorist groups, including Hamas. It shelters and provides logistical support for Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, a long-time resident. From Damascus, Mashaal commands terrorists within the Palestinian territories who carry out attacks against Israel and its citizens, including the bombardment of southern Israel with Kassam missiles and the recent terrorist infiltration and abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Syria also provides support to Hezbollah, including the transfer of arms, munitions, and operatives through the Damascus airport and border crossings into Lebanon. Hezbollah would not be able to operate in Lebanon without Syrian sponsorship.

Iran is the main benefactor of Hezbollah, providing it with funding, weapons, directives, and even manpower through the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. For all practical purposes, Hezbollah is merely an arm of the Tehran jihadist regime. Iran has also made considerable inroads of influence into other Palestinian terrorist organisations, including Fatah's al-Aqsa Brigades and Hamas's Iz a-Din al-Kassam group. It provides their terrorist cells with funding, technical instruction and operational directives.

Israel expects Thai support in its struggle against terrorism, because it is also Thailand's own struggle. The forces of Islamist extremism have struck in the southern provinces, and elsewhere throughout the region. As the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel shares common values with Thailand, particularly our respect for freedom and human rights. Since September 11, it has become clear to all that terrorism is not the exclusive problem of Israel, but that it threatens the entire free world. Only the combined action of all freedom-loving states can succeed in defeating it.

A moment of truth is rapidly approaching for all those in the region and the international community who seek peace and stability for the Middle East. The terrorists are the enemies of peace and they are on the attack. It is time for the defenders of peace to fight back. It is time to say "enough".

Yael Rubinstein

Special to The Nation

Yael Rubinstein is the Israeli Ambassador to Thailand.